Rollei IR 4x5

[Andrew O'Neill]

Well, I finally picked up a box of Rollei IR 4x5 ($99.95 Cdn!!!!). Back in my darkroom, with the lights off and opened up the box and the foil wrap. I felt something that I thought was paper...I've gotten accustomed to film from Europe having paper between the sheets of film...and that's what I thought I had in my fingers, so I put it aside and pulled up what I thought was the first sheet of film...but it felt really thin, like paper...what the hell???!! Was the first one I set aside film too? I slipped it into my holder, put the film back, turned on the light and went outside. After exposing the mystery sheet, I developed it in straight xtol for 7 minutes in a tube (I should add that I exposed it through a #25 filter at EI 64)...I turned the light on, pulled the "thing" out of the fix...and there it was in all its glory...a beautifully exposed negative!
Man is this film's base ever thin!!!!! I mean, thiiiiiiiiiiiiin.
I've yet to contact print it.

[steve simmons]

I have some samples of the regular sheet film and will be testing it and doing a review in the November/December issue of View Camera. I will be using PMK as the developer. My film speed test indicates a EI of 400. In the US this is available from Bruce's View Camera Store in NYC and Freestyle in LA. I will be doing side bty side shots with Tri-X.

This film comes in a box, not a box within a box.

steve simmons

[Capocheny]

I turned the light on, pulled the "thing" out of the fix...and there it was in all its glory...a beautifully exposed negative!

I've yet to contact print it.

Hi Andrew,

Good to hear you're happy with the results. :)

Now... you do realize that the Vancouver Group of 6 will be wanting to see the end results, don't you?? :)

Cheers

[Dominique Labrosse]

Yes please. I would like to see!

DL

[snuck]

well heck, don't forget everybody else in Canada too will ya? We want to see the results too....
99 bucks for 25 sheets? yeeeeeccchhhhhh.... Hopefully it's cheaper round here in TO

[Capocheny]

99 bucks for 25 sheets? yeeeeeccchhhhhh.... Hopefully it's cheaper round here in TO

Snuck,

LOL... Nah! It'll be a LOT more expensive in TO! :)

Cheers

[Andrew O'Neill]

I picked it up at Beau Photo...I think they are gouging us. Hey Snuck, if you locate it in that town with the crappy hockey team, let me know, eh? If it's cheaper than Beau I may have to get it from...gulp...TO.

[Andrew O'Neill]

Steve,

I developed a couple of sheets tonight in pyro, and it stains quite nicely. I imagine the regular film will stain nicely, too. Looking forward to reading your results.

[snuck]

I picked it up at Beau Photo...I think they are gouging us. Hey Snuck, if you locate it in that town with the crappy hockey team, let me know, eh? If it's cheaper than Beau I may have to get it from...gulp...TO.
Ouch, that smarts! Let me see what I can do... no promises....

[Andrew O'Neill]

Sorry Snuck... Just email my gmail account if you find anything! Thanks!

[snuck]

Oh it's alright.... I'm beginning to think that following the Leafs is like masochism anyway...

[Andrew O'Neill]

Oh it's alright.... I'm beginning to think that following the Leafs is like masochism anyway...

kinda like watching the Canucks, too! Pretty painful!

[Joe Forks]

What's the scoop on this film? did any of you guys get the iso down through a hoya R72?
I loved konica 750IR in 120, and I want to try this Rollei but I'm reading through the history and I can't find anyone who likes it.

Anyone have any sample shots to share?

[walter23]

$65 at vistek:
http://vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=225963&CategoryID=ProPhotoFilm

I might have to order a box.

Someone I know on another forum posted a sample shot here which I quite like:
http://www.lightcafe.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2771

He's got others, I think.

[Joe Forks]

Very nice, thanks.
I was reading that thread and they brought up the focus shift with infrared film. I didn't see any problems with that shot and since the Rollei is "near" infrared (much like the Konica 750IR) it shouldn't be an issue, should it?

Regardless, I'm ordering a box bright and early tomorrow!

Best
Joe

[DrPablo]

What's the scoop on this film? did any of you guys get the iso down through a hoya R72?
I loved konica 750IR in 120, and I want to try this Rollei but I'm reading through the history and I can't find anyone who likes it.

Anyone have any sample shots to share?

I love the Rollei film. It produces wonderful images, and it's got an extremely tolerant dynamic range.

I've used it with an r72 (aka wratten 89b). I expose at ISO 3 and have gotten nothing but great results. I wouldn't use any of the true opaque filters (87, 87c, etc) because the sensitivity drops really quickly.

I haven't worried about the focus shift -- I just stop down a lot. This shot was taken with a 90mm SAXL lens, and I stopped down to f/22. I rated the film at ISO 3, exposed for 15 seconds, and didn't worry about reciprocity. I developed for 11 or 12minutes in xtol 1:1. The negative had a nice range of density and was easy to print.

http://www.pbase.com/drpablo74/image/71621739.jpg

[Rory_5244]

Brilliant!!

[al olson]

Can anyone provide more information about the Rollei IR film. By rumor, I was given to understand that Rollei had taken over branding the MACO 820 film. But MACO has gone out of business.

So the question is: Is the Rollei coating the same as the MACO emulsion?

A couple of months ago I was placing a phone order with Freestyle. I asked about the Rollei IR and was told that it was not really an IR film, that it had very little sensitivity in the IR region. From that comment I presumed that the Rollei cutoff was around the 720nm mark.

On the other hand, MACO advertised a cutoff at 820nm. In fact, their spectral sensitivity curves show a rather flat sensitivity response in the IR similar to the visible spectrum with a sharp dropoff at 820.

A couple of years ago I tested two 120 rolls of MACO 820c with a Wratten A filter. The results were disappointing. No visible Wood effect. From all appearances the results looked like they were made on a panchromatic film. I have to assume that the IR sensitivity is a lot less than what MACO shows in their spectral sensitivity curves because everything I have read recommends an EI of 3 to 6 for the IR.

I still have three 120 rolls and a box of 4x5 in my freezer. Last summer I bought an R72 filter with the intent of testing the 4x5 sheets. (Unfortunately shortly after, I discovered bellows leaks in two of my 4x5s either of which I would use for the IR. This week I sent camerabellows.com an inquiry regarding the purchase of bellows for these cameras and am waiting for a reply.) If the Rollei film is no worse than the MACO it would be nice to know that there is a consistent source available, as wimpy as it may be.

What I am looking for is a film that can produce results similar to Kodak's HIE with a strong Wood effect, even on coniferous vegetation, and blacker skies, much like the example I am including here. It was made with a Wratten A filter using an EI of 320 metered through the lens.

Does anyone know the future availability of the Rollei IR?

I am hoping that some of the folks who have tried the Rollei film can give us an update on their results.

[DrPablo]

I can't speak to your other questions, but the Rollei IR film definitely has a different spectral sensitivity than the Maco film.

[Arne Croell]

Can anyone provide more information about the Rollei IR film. By rumor, I was given to understand that Rollei had taken over branding the MACO 820 film. But MACO has gone out of business.



Since when should Maco be out of business??! Their web site (http://www.mahn.net/Frameset.htm) is online and the latest news bulletin (in German, http://www.mahn.net/Wer.htm) on that site is from January 25, 2007.
They also list the Rollei IR film as made by Maco: http://www.mahn.net/PDLiefE.htm#Filme, top of page.

[Scott Rosenberg]

it's good to see that maco is still in business... now, does anyone have a source for 820c in 4x5? i just ran out and would love purchase some more.

[al olson]

Thanks, Arne, for the info.

I checked the web site that you reference. There is a distinct difference in the spectral sensitivity given for the Rollei IR and the old MACO IR820c.

I am enclosing a scan of the the spectral sensitivity curve for IR820c that I downloaded 18-20 months ago. It is interesting that it is very flat all the way out to 820nm. On the other hand, their data sheet for Rollei IR on the MACO web site shows the sensitivity dropping off obliquely from 700 nm to 820nm.

This is most likely the correct sensitivity for the MACO IR820c and better explains why the Wratten A filter does not have an effect.

It would be interesting to know if they ever had an emulsion that matched this sensitivity curve.

My assumption that MACO was no longer in business was based on:
(1) The URL I had for them was no longer operable
(2) Their branded films were disappearing, although other labels seemed to be replacing them.
(3) Rumors that I had heard that MACO products were no longer going to be available.

It is nice to know that there is still a source of IR sheet film.

It also appears from their web site that they are producing products, not only for Rollei, but for Agfa, Edwal and others.

Thanks again,

[Steve Kefford]

....(3) Rumors that I had heard that MACO products were no longer going to be available....

This becomes "but MACO has gone out of business."

So you just thought that you would pass of these unsubstantiated rumours as fact? That is one of the things wrong with this internet thing:mad:

Steve

[al olson]

Scott,

Freestyle has 4x5 listed for $75/25 sheets,
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_prod.php?cat_id=&pid=1000001797

But there is a lot of confusing information. Freestyle lists it as sensitive up to 720nm and with an unfiltered ISO of 400. However, if you click on the data sheet, MACO claims sensitivity up to 820nm with an ISO of 400, see:
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/Rollei%20Infrared.pdf
They still recommend an R72 filter so there has to be sensitivity (small as it may be) beyond 720nm. Note carefully the spectral sensitivity curve.

To add to the confusion, the MACO IR820c film that I have in my freezer (expiration date 1/2008) claims sensitivity to 820nm, but unfiltered ISO of 100!

Are these different films or are they the same. I think that the results that I have experienced with the MACO IR820c film tell me that its spectral sensitivity is closer to that given for the Rollei IR than the sensitivity curve shown in my prior post.

My guess is this is all the same film, but you are on your own as far as exposure. If you use it with an R72 filter, the EI of 3 is probably most correct.